Understanding how a special stem cell helps breast cancer spread to the spine
Official title: Discovery of a stem cell driving breast cancer spine metastases
Funded at Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ · NIH-11051822 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research aims to understand why breast cancer often spreads to the spine by looking at a newly found type of stem cell in the vertebrae.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2024 |
| Project end | May 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $494,785 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA282815-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11051822 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This foundational research is not recruiting patients directly but aims to benefit future patients with breast cancer at risk of or experiencing spinal metastases.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose cancer has not spread to the spine or who have other types of cancer may not directly benefit from this specific research focus.
What this research studies
For people with breast cancer, the spread of cancer to the spine can cause significant pain and disability. We know that breast cancer tends to spread more often to the spine than to other bones, suggesting there are specific reasons for this. This project has identified a new type of stem cell in the vertebrae, called vertebral skeletal stem cells (vSSCs), which appear to play a key role in how cancer cells settle and grow in the spine. By understanding these vSSCs, we hope to uncover why the spine is a common site for breast cancer to spread. This knowledge could lead to new ways to prevent or treat these painful spinal metastases.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new treatments that prevent breast cancer from spreading to the spine or improve outcomes for those who already have spinal metastases.
How similar studies have gone: This project introduces a novel skeletal stem cell and provides early evidence in models that targeting these cells can reduce vertebral metastasis rates.
Where this research is happening
-
Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Greenblatt, Matthew Blake — Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ
- Study coordinator: Greenblatt, Matthew Blake
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.